Last night the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) and National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) screened filmmaker Roger Hagopian's Destination Watertown: The Armenians of Hood Rubber to a capacity audience. The screening was held at NAASR Center, where Hagopian was on hand to discuss this unique record of an important slice of Armenian-American history.

The event began with Marc Mamigonian, Director of Academic Affairs at NAASR, and Nancy Kolligian, Chairman of NAASR's Board of Directors, giving warm introductory remarks.

"I know it's an avocation [for Hagopian], but it's also a vocation for him," said Kolligian about Hagopian's dedication to the creation of Destination Watertown.

The 68 minute documentary unveils how the Hood Rubber Company of Watertown, Mass., provided the impetus for the formation of the Armenian community of Watertown. Through first-hand accounts of former employees, Watertown residents and descendants of factory workers, Hagopian offers a touching glimpse into the world of Hood Rubber and its role in the Armenian community.

After the infamous 1894 to1896 massacres, about 5,000 Armenian refugees settled in three major areas of Massachusetts: Worcester, Boston and Watertown. The Hood Rubber Company attracted unskilled immigrants from various ethnic groups, including the Armenians, and like wildfire, word spread that work was to be found at Hood Rubber.

Hagopian's interviewees candidly recounted their fond and poignant memories of the Hood Rubber Company throughout Destination Watertown .

Former Armenian employees opened up about the daunting task of working on a fast-paced assembly line that produced everything from tires to sneakers to raincoats to army boots to rafts. These interviewees also spoke about the camaraderie that pervaded the factory floors, the perks of working at such a large company and the health problems they believe arose from working in unfavorable conditions.

Hagopian also took the time to interview Armenian Watertown residents who vividly recounted their childhood memories of Hood Rubber. Whether it was playing with the tires produced by the factory or anxiously waiting on school steps to try and participate in the Hood Rubber "sneaker test," the factory was an integral part of their adolescence. Calling it a "labor of love," Hagopian spent more than 100 hours working on this documentary. A limited number of DVDs are available for sale through ALMA's gift shop. Click here or call (617) 926-2562 ext. 4 to place your order today.